Toddlers have the attention span of … well, toddlers! To keep them entertained you’ll need an arsenal of games at your disposal. Jennifer England of The Relaxed Homeschool, a guide to homeschooling, and Meredith Hazel, teacher and creator of Wait ‘Til Your Father Gets Home, offer this list of their recommended best games for toddlers:
Toddler Apps
- Peekaboo Barn
Toddlers love learning about animals and sounds as they discover what’s behind the barn door.
- Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Play At Home With Daniel
A great educational toddler app helps teach daily tasks like brushing teeth and going potty.
- Scout’s Shapes and Colors Farm
Toddlers learn about shapes, colors and basic counting in this fun yet simple game.
- Busy Shapes
This game teaches toddlers spatial relations of shapes and objects in a way that’s easy enough for even the youngest players to grasp.
- Five Little Monkeys
A silly, toddler-friendly game uses music and humor to explore counting.
Online Games
- ABCmouse.com
Players as young as 2 build basic computer skills as they play games on a progressive learning path to kindergarten readiness.
- Starfall
This extensive educational website helps toddlers learn their ABCs and then progress to games that teach reading skills.
- PBS Kids
This network is full of the best online games for toddlers, featuring favorite characters like Curious George and Thomas the Tank Engine.
- Sprout
Another great site, this one features several educational toddler games with familiar characters like Chica and Pajanimals.
- Mother Goose Club
This interactive site encourages toddlers to get up and move to musical nursery rhymes.
Board Games
- Hi Ho Cherry-O
Toddlers learn about taking turns and counting as they pick fruit off trees to fill their baskets in this simple math game.
- Thinkfun Roll and Play Board Game
A great starter game for toddlers, this one teaches the mechanics of rolling dice and picking cards to perform an activity.
- My First Orchard
This cooperative game for kids as young as 1 teaches counting, social skills and color recognition as you work together to protect the harvest from birds.
- Memory Game
One of the oldest and best board games for toddlers, this game allows players to develop memory skills as they try to pair matching cards.
- Count Your Chickens
Toddlers learn counting and teamwork as they cooperate to help a mother hen find her chicks.
Even small toddlers benefit from playing games, according to England. Games, such as these above, teach social skills, taking turns and problem solving in addition to fostering creativity.
More Games to Play
- Bean Bag Toss
Tape several squares of colored construction paper to the floor. Using colorful bean bags, have your toddler toss them to the coordinating color until they’re all filled. Your toddler will work on motor skills while learning about colors and matching.
- Hot Potato
Have toddlers sit in a circle and pass a small ball around to music. When the music stops, the player with the “potato” will move out of the circle. Start the music again and do this until there is only one child left. Encourage the kids outside of the circle to cheer on the remaining players.
- Toddler Twister
Dust off that old Twister mat and fill a basket with small toys that are red, yellow, blue and green. Spin to pick a color, have your toddler find a toy that matches and then place it on an open circle. The object is to fill all the empty spots.
- Shape Hunt
Use masking tape or draw on a large sheet of paper to make different shapes on the floor. Have your toddler search for objects around the house that match those shapes — for example, a book for a rectangle — and put that item inside the shape until they all have a match.
- Freeze Dance
This oldie but goodie is a great way to practice listening and following directions while also getting the wiggles out. Turn up the tunes, then stop the music and yell “freeze.” Those who don’t freeze immediately are out. Continue playing until only one player — the winner — is left.
For more fun ways to keep your toddler busy, check out 101 Indoor Games and Activities for Kids
Shahrzad Warkentin is a freelance writer with several years of experience covering topics like parenting, health and lifestyle, and is a stay-at-home mom in Los Angeles.
